Sir Peter Thompson (30 October 1698 – 31 October 1770) was an English merchant, collector and MP. He was a younger son of Captain Thomas Thompson of

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

, Dorset. He became an eminent merchant in Bermondsey, London, trading in Hamburg and Newfoundland. He was made

High Sheriff of Surrey The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066. At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex (1229–1231, 1232–1240, 1242–1567, 1571–1635). 1066–1228 (High Sheriffs of Surrey only) 1229– ...

for 1745-46 and knighted the same year. In 1746, he travelled to Berlin during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

. He sat in Parliament as MP for

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

from 1747 to 1754. He built a large town house in Poole, now a grade I listed building, and became a collector and antiquary, being created a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

and, in 1746, a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

. Thompson was a friend of

Joseph Ames (author) Joseph Ames (23 January 1689 – 7 October 1759) was an England, English bibliographer and antiquary. He purportedly wrote an account of printing in England from 1471 to 1600 entitled ''Typographical Antiquities'' (1749). It is uncertain whethe ...

, and died unmarried and was succeeded by his brother James.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Peter 1698 births 1770 deaths English merchants English antiquarians British MPs 1747–1754 High Sheriffs of Surrey Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London